Recycling and Reclamation Workers in California
Want to work as a Recycling and Reclamation Workers in California? Here’s what you need to know. Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified. Excludes “Construction Laborers” (47-2061) and “Helpers, Construction Trades” (47-3011 through 47-3019). Excludes “Material Moving Workers” (53-7011 through 53-7199) who use power equipment.
What do Recycling and Reclamation Workers Make in California?
The recycling and reclamation workers working in California, wages run about $42,660 per year (or roughly $20.51/hour).Annual wages span from $35,300 at the 10th percentile to $55,720 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,300 | $16.97 |
| 25th percentile | $36,890 | $17.74 |
| Median (50th) | $42,660 | $20.51 |
| 75th percentile | $48,500 | $23.32 |
| 90th percentile | $55,720 | $26.79 |
The job concentration index in California nationwide is 1.10.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, recycling and reclamation workers earn a median of $61,426 per year ($29.53/hour), below the California median.
Employment Outlook
There are roughly 1,074,938 recycling and reclamation workers across the United States. In California alone, approximately 382,740 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 35,620 recycling and reclamation workers.
Top California Metros for Recycling and Reclamation Workers
These are the California metros with the most recycling and reclamation workers in California.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 128,800 | $39,200 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 75,620 | $44,970 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 33,130 | $48,220 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 24,960 | $39,000 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 19,620 | $44,420 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 16,860 | $46,060 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 13,070 | $46,030 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 8,290 | $46,800 |
| Fresno, CA | 8,140 | $37,160 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 5,390 | $39,190 |
| Modesto, CA | 4,630 | $46,230 |
| Salinas, CA | 4,300 | $36,510 |
| Visalia, CA | 3,940 | $37,740 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 2,970 | $44,540 |
| Vallejo, CA | 2,490 | $45,910 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 2,190 | $38,770 |
| Redding, CA | 1,170 | $36,710 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 1,170 | $38,620 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 1,160 | $41,170 |
| Napa, CA | 1,070 | $45,640 |
| Merced, CA | 1,040 | $37,300 |
| Chico, CA | 1,020 | $37,770 |
| El Centro, CA | 890 | $37,250 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 660 | $44,470 |
| Yuba City, CA | 540 | $38,310 |
Top States for Recycling and Reclamation Workers Employment
The table below shows the states where the most recycling and reclamation workers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 382,740 |
| Texas | 224,960 |
| Illinois | 183,590 |
| Florida | 157,990 |
| Pennsylvania | 137,640 |
| Georgia | 135,950 |
| North Carolina | 113,330 |
| Tennessee | 111,240 |
| Ohio | 105,960 |
| New Jersey | 101,720 |
| Indiana | 97,350 |
| New York | 95,990 |
| Wisconsin | 74,510 |
| Arizona | 73,540 |
| Michigan | 68,080 |
| Kentucky | 58,120 |
| Minnesota | 56,030 |
| South Carolina | 54,530 |
| Nevada | 53,660 |
| Virginia | 53,180 |
Highest-Paying States for Recycling and Reclamation Workers
Where recycling and reclamation workers earn the most: recycling and reclamation workers.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $45,850 |
| Alaska | $45,720 |
| Minnesota | $45,440 |
| Colorado | $45,210 |
| District of Columbia | $45,140 |
| Massachusetts | $45,070 |
| North Dakota | $44,630 |
| Hawaii | $44,050 |
| New York | $43,660 |
| Iowa | $43,370 |
Skills
Top recycling and reclamation workers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Top abilities for recycling and reclamation workers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Common tasks include:
- Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling.
- Clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins.
- Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, power lifts, or front-end loaders to load bales, bundles, or other heavy items onto trucks for shipping to smelters or other recycled materials processing facilities.
- Sort metals to separate high-grade metals, such as copper, brass, and aluminum, for recycling.
- Clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders.
- Collect and sort recyclable construction materials, such as concrete, drywall, plastics, or wood, into containers.
- Extract chemicals from discarded appliances, such as air conditioners or refrigerators, using specialized machinery, such as refrigerant recovery equipment.
- Deposit recoverable materials into chutes or place materials on conveyor belts.
- Operate balers to compress recyclable materials into bundles or bales.
- Clean materials, such as metals, according to recycling requirements.
- Record logs of recycled materials or waste chemicals removed from products.
- Operate processing equipment, such as fiber-sorters and grinders, to sort, crush, or grind recyclable materials.
Work Activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Getting Information
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Training and Teaching Others
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
Tools & Technology
Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel
Related Careers
Related occupations to recycling and reclamation workers include:
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
- Helpers–Extraction Workers
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Also Known As
Auto Dismantler, Bobcat Driver, Box Sorter, Computer Recycling Worker, Convenience Recycle Center Technician (Convenience Recycle Center Tech), Deconstruction and Decontamination Waste Operations Specialist (D and D Waste Operations Specialist), Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Worker, Materials Sorter, Non-Ferrous Material Handler, Pallet Sorter, Reclamation Worker, Recyclable Materials Sorter, Recycling Sorter, Recycling Technician, Recycling Worker.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 53-7062.04
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